Title XI, County Organization and Intergovernmental Relations

As used in this act:(1) “Community standards” means, with respect to water and sewer utility rates, rates that are on a par with other rates in the county, or similar utility jurisdictions in surrounding counties, after accounting for relative household incomes or other measures …

The Local Government Utilities Assistance Program is established in the department. The department may award financial assistance to a local government in the form of a grant for the purpose of acquiring privately owned water-wastewater utilities. A local government may qualify f…

If the applicant for financial assistance demonstrates, based on documentation acceptable to the department, that acquisition of a privately owned water-wastewater utility qualifies under s. 153.954, the department may authorize financial assistance for such acquisition.History.—…

It is the intent of the Legislature to promote, protect, maintain, and improve the health and safety of all citizens and visitors of this state through a system of coordinated county health department services. The Legislature recognizes the unique partnership which necessarily e…

(1) The several counties of the state may cooperate with the Department of Health in the establishment and maintenance of full-time county health departments in such counties for the promotion of the public’s health, the control and eradication of preventable diseases, and the pr…

(1) It is the intent of the Legislature that all 67 counties offer primary care services through contracts, as required by s. 154.01(3), for Medicaid recipients and other qualified low-income persons. Therefore, the Department of Health is directed, to the extent that funds are a…

(1) The health department in every county in this state, or its designee, shall participate in the sexual assault response team coordinated by the certified rape crisis center serving the county or region, if such sexual assault response team exists. If a sexual assault response …

(1) To enable counties to provide public health services and maintain public health equipment and facilities, each county in the state with a population exceeding 100,000, according to the last state census, may levy an annual tax not exceeding 0.5 mill; each county in the state …

(1) The county commissioners of any county may agree with the Department of Health upon the expenditure by the department in such county of any funds allotted for that purpose by the department or received by it for such purposes from private contributions or other sources, and s…

(1)(a) The personnel of a minimum county health department shall consist of a county health department director or administrator and a full-time public health nurse, a public health environmental specialist, and a clerk. All such personnel shall be selected from those especially …

Counties may establish cooperative arrangements for shared county health departments in the following ways:(1) Two or more counties may combine in the establishment and maintenance of a single full-time county health department for the counties which combine for that purpose; and…

(1) The Department of Health may establish by rule fee schedules for public health services rendered through the county health departments. Such rules may include provisions for fee assessments, copayments, sliding fee scales, fee waivers, and fee exemptions. In addition, the dep…

The Department of Health shall adopt a rule requiring every county health department, as described in s. 154.01, to adopt a protocol that, at a minimum, requires the county health department to:(1) Incorporate in its health department policy a policy that every staff member has a…

There may be created in and for each county of the state a public body corporate and politic, to be known as the “public health trust” of such county, for the purpose of exercising the powers described herein with respect to “designated facilities” as that term is hereinafter def…

(1) The board of trustees of each public health trust is authorized to become the operator of, and governing body for, any designated facility. The term “designated facility” shall mean any county-owned or county-operated facility used in connection with the delivery of health ca…

(1) The governing body of each public health trust shall be a board of trustees consisting of not less than 7 nor more than 21 members, to be appointed for staggered terms of not more than 4 years by the governing body of the county in which such trust is located from among the r…

At such time as the governing body of a county shall declare the need for a public health trust to function in such county, appoint a board of trustees, and designate health care facilities pursuant to the provisions of this part, said governing body shall be authorized to transf…

(1) The board of trustees of each public health trust shall be deemed to exercise a public and essential governmental function of both the state and the county and in furtherance thereof it shall, subject to limitation by the governing body of the county in which such board is lo…

(1) Employees of a public health trust created pursuant to this part shall be considered to come within the terms of chapter 122 for purposes of inclusion in the State and County Officers and Employees’ Retirement System and within the terms of chapter 121, for purposes of inclus…

Any designated facility owned or operated by a public health trust and located within the boundaries of a municipality is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the county creating the public health trust and is not within the jurisdiction of the municipality.History.—s. 2, ch. 2018…

This part shall be known and cited as the “Health Facilities Authorities Law.”History.—s. 1, ch. 74-323.

It is declared that for the benefit of the people of this state, the increase of their commerce, welfare, and prosperity, and the improvement of their health and living conditions it is essential that the people of this state have access to adequate medical care and health facili…

The following terms, whenever used in this part, shall have the following meanings unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:(1) “Areawide council” means an advisory comprehensive health planning council, as described and approved under all pertinent federal and…

(1) In each local agency there may be created a public body corporate and politic to be known as the “ (name of local agency) Health Facilities Authority.” Each of said authorities shall be constituted as a public instrumentality, and the exercise by an authority of the powers co…

The purpose of the authority shall be to assist health facilities in the acquisition, construction, financing, and refinancing of projects in any incorporated or unincorporated area within the geographical limits of the local agency. For this purpose, the authority is authorized …

All expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of this part shall be payable solely from funds provided under the provisions of this part, and no liability or obligation shall be incurred by an authority, a local agency, or the state hereunder beyond the extent to which mon…

In undertaking any project pursuant to this part, the authority shall first obtain a valid certificate of need evidencing need for the project and a statement that the project serves a public purpose by advancing the commerce, welfare, and prosperity of the local agency and its p…

Contracts for the construction of any project shall be awarded by the authority upon a competitive or negotiated basis, as it determines will most effectively serve the purposes of this part. The authority may, by written contract, engage the services of the lessee or prospective…

The authority is authorized from time to time to issue its negotiable notes for any corporate purposes and renew from time to time any notes by the issuance of new notes, whether the notes to be renewed have or have not matured. Except as otherwise provided herein or in s. 154.21…

(1) The authority is authorized from time to time to issue its negotiable revenue bonds for the purpose of paying all or any part of the cost of any project or projects for which a certificate of need has been obtained, or pursuant to subsections (12) and (13) of s. 154.209 for t…

In the discretion of the authority, any bonds issued under this part may be secured by a trust agreement by and between the authority and a corporate trustee, which may be any trust company or bank having the powers of a trust company within or outside the state. Such trust agree…

Revenue bonds issued under the provisions of this part shall not be deemed to constitute a debt, liability, or obligation of the local agency or the state or any political subdivision thereof, or a pledge of the faith and credit of the local agency or the state or any political s…

(1) The authority is hereby authorized to fix and to collect fees, rents, loan payments, and charges for the use of any project or projects and any part or section thereof. The authority may require that the health facility operating any project or any part thereof financed or re…

Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, all money received pursuant to the provisions of this part, whether as proceeds from the sale of bonds, sale of property, insurance, or condemnation awards, or as revenues, shall be deemed to be trust funds, to be held …

Any holder of bonds issued under the provisions of this part or of any of the coupons appertaining thereto, and the trustee under any trust agreement, except to the extent the rights herein given may be restricted by such trust agreement or the resolution authorizing the issuance…

All bonds issued under the provisions of this part shall have, and are hereby declared to have, all the qualities and incidents, including negotiability, of investment securities under the Uniform Commercial Code, but no provision of such code respecting the filing of a financing…

(1) The exercise of the powers granted by this part will be in all respects for the benefit of the people of this state, for the increase of their commerce, welfare, and prosperity, and for the improvement of their health and living conditions. Because the operation and maintenan…

(1) The authority is hereby authorized to provide for the issuance of revenue bonds for the purpose of refunding:(a) Any of its revenue bonds then outstanding; and(b) Revenue bonds of other issuers, the proceeds of which were used to finance or refinance projects of one or more h…

Bonds issued by the authority under the provisions of this part are hereby made securities in which all public officers and public bodies of the state and its political subdivisions and all insurance companies, trust companies, banking associations, investment companies, executor…

Notwithstanding any general or special law, rule, regulation, or ordinance to the contrary, including ss. 112.311-112.326, an authority may sell its bonds to a financial institution, as defined in s. 655.005, which employs a member of the authority as an officer, director, or emp…

Within the first 90 days of each calendar year, the authority shall make a report to the governing board of the county of its activities for the preceding calendar year. Each such report shall set forth a complete operating and financial statement covering its operations during t…

Bonds issued under the provisions of this part shall be validated in the manner prescribed by chapter 75.History.—s. 21, ch. 74-323.

This part shall be deemed to provide an additional and alternative method for the doing of the things authorized hereby and shall be regarded as supplemental and additional to powers conferred by other laws.History.—s. 22, ch. 74-323.

Notwithstanding any provision of this part to the contrary, before any project authorized by this part and subject to review under ss. 408.031-408.045 is approved by the authority, and before revenue bonds are validated for the project, the Agency for Health Care Administration s…

The Legislature finds and declares that the purpose of chapter 78-115, Laws of Florida, is, in part, to clarify the original meaning of the Health Facilities Authorities Law, and, therefore, all bonds heretofore issued and proceedings conducted pursuant thereto which would have b…

Notwithstanding any provision of this part to the contrary, an authority may, if it finds that there will be a benefit or a cost savings to a health facility located within its jurisdiction, issue bonds for such health facility to finance projects for such health facility, or for…